Floor and ceiling construction



L G. DAVIS.

FLOOR AND CEILING CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29. 1918.

1,330,870. Patented Feb. 10,1920.

D QR? Ira/e nial':

- e wr ig Attorne yy is therefore limited.

Unrrnp s'raa s rnnr oFrIoE. r

JAMES G. DAVIS, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

FLOOR AND CEILING CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed May 29, 1313.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMns Gr. DAVIS, a citizen of the United States, residing in Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Floor and Ceiling Construction, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a floor and ceiling construction for buildings.

The floors. and ceilings of the buildings have sometimes heretofore been constructed of solid concrete for rendering the same fireproof, or the same have been made partly of concrete and partly of hollow tile or blocks for the purpose of reducing their weight. In some cases the underside of the ceiling has been arched and the spaces between the ends of the arches were bridged by metal lathing upon which a plaster finish was applied in order to make the ceiling flat and improve its appearance. All of these constructions are expensive and unsatisfactory for the reason that the building tile having the form of blocks frequently breaks and allows the fresh plastic concrete to flow into the conduits or spaces within the building blocks and thereby not only cause an unnecessary loss of material but also unduly increasing the weight of the floor and ceiling. Furthermore, the expense of shipping hollow building blocks or tiles is consider able on account of the relatively large amount of room which they take up in proportion to their weight. Moreover, the separate metal lathing which must necessarily be applied to the underside of the arched construction in order to provide a flat ceiling does not form a sufficiently solid surface for all purposes and the use of such a structure It is the object of this invention to provide a fireproof floor and ceiling construction for buildings which can be produced at comparatively low cost, which is very strong, light and durable, which can be stowed compactly so as to permit of shipping the same at low freight rates, which in its erection does not require the use of any forms or molds, and which permits of producing hollow spaces within the floor and ceiling and still provides asubstantial and strongfiat underside of the same.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view showingpart of a completedfloor and Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 10, 1920.

Serial No. 237,311.

ceiling construction embodying my invention and another portion which is in the course of erection. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the lower body sections of the floor and ceiling construction. F ig. 3 is a similar view of one of the upper body sections ofthe same. Figs. 4 and 5 are fragmentary elevations showing modified forms of the joint between adjacent lower body sections.

Similar characters of reference refer to like parts throughout the several views.

In its general construction, this floor'and ceiling construction for buildings comprises a body which is made up of a plurality of lower and upper sections, an upper filling or surfacing consisting principally of concrete extending over the upper side of this body and a lower finish or surfacing'applied to the underside of this body.

Each of the lower sections of the body is preferably constructed of L-shape and com" prises a lower horizontal plate 1 and a vertical flange 2 rising from said plate at one edge thereof while the remaining edges are unfianged. Each of the upper sections of the body is also preferably constructed of L-shape andcomprises anupper horizontal plate 8 and a vertical flange 4: depending from one of the edges of this plate while the remaining edges thereof are unflanged.

These body sections may be constructed of any suitable material but preferably are made of a mixture of plaster of Paris or gypsum and wood fiber or excelsior, so that they are light and durable and permit'of driving a nailor similar fastening through the same without cracking or injuring the material. The length of the upper body section from its flanged to its opposite unflanged edge is less than the measurement of the lower body section from its flanged to its oppositeunflanged edge. In assembling a plurality of such body sections, the flanged edge of the plate of each lower section engages with that edge ,of an adjacent lower body section opposite the flange of the latter, so that the undersides of the several plates of these body sections are flush and form a practically flat, continuous surface. For the formed in the flanged edge of each lower plate and a V-shaped tenon 6 at the opposite edge thereof so that when the several lower body sections are assembled, the tenon of each plate engages with the groove in an adjacent lower plate and thereby holds the several plates against vertical displacement relatively to each other. If desired, this interlocking between adjacent lower body sections maybe effected by means of a. rabbet joint 7 as shown in Fig. 4c or a curved joint 70, as shown in Fig. 5.

Each upper body section rests with the lower edge of its vertical flange on the upper 1 side of one of the lower plates at a distance from that edge of the latter opposite to its flange, while that edge of the upper body section opposite its flange rests on top of the flange of the companion lower body section to which latter the same may be secured by means of a nail 8. When a plurality of body sections are thus assembled end to end and side by side, a hollow air space 9 is formed between the superposed sections of a set of body sections which not only produces a light structure but also keeps the same dry and sound-proof.

Owing to the vertical flange of each upper body section being arranged at a distance from the adjacent unflanged edge of the plate of the companion lower body section, a channel 10 is produced between the vertical flanges of the body sections of one set of sections and the vertical flanges of the lower body sections of an adjacent set of sections, which channel opens upwardly but is closed at its bottom or underside by the unflanged edge portions of the adjacent lower body plates, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. When assembling a plurality of such body sections, the same are temporarily supported upon a shoring or support which preferably comprises a plurality of head boards or planks 11 engaging with the underside of the lower body plates and extending across the joints between the sameand a plurality of posts or uprights 12 extending from these head pieces to the floor or ground of the building. The lower body plates are preferably temporarily secured to these head pieces by nails 13 passing downwardly through the unflanged edge portions of the lower body plates within the channels 10 and into the head pieces of the shoring, as shown in Fig. 1.

After the body of the floor and ceiling construction has been thus assembled, a floor filling or surfacing is applied to the upper side of the same, which filling preferably consists of concrete or similar material and is applied'to the upper side of this body in a plastic state so as to completely fill the channels and also extend over the upper side of the upper body plates, and thereby form a hor zontal flat floor slab 14 resting upon the upper body sections and provided at intervals on its underside with concrete ribs or beams 15 which are integral with the floor slab and project downwardly into the channels of the body.

These ribs or beams may be reinforced so as to strengthen the same by placing in these channels a plurality of longitudinal reinforcing bars 16 of steel or similar material, which bars become embedded in the concrete beams when'filling the concrete into the same and effectively reinforce these beams and the slab above the same when the concrete has become seasoned and fully dried.

For the purpose of causing the body sections and the beams or ribs of the concrete filling to become interlocked and adhere firmly to each other, the outer sides of the Vertical flanges of the lower and upperbody sections and the unflanged edges of the upper plates are scored, fluted or otherwise made of irregular form, as shown at 17, 18, 28, in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, thereby causing the concrete to become anchored on these flanges and holding these members together against vertical displacement relatively to each other.

Each of the nails 8 and 13 whereby the plates of the upper body sections are secured to the flange of the lower body section and the plates of the lower body sections are temporarily secured to the head piece of the shoring, is preferably provided at its upper end with a double head, that is, a lower head 20 which engages with the respective plate and an upper head 21 which becomes embedded in the concrete above the same, thereby additionally tying the body sections and the concrete together and causing the concrete, when dry, to reliably support the body sections and hold the same in place.

After the concrete has thoroughly set and dried, the shoring is removed and the lower ends of the nails 13, whereby the lower body plates are secured to the head pieces of the shoring, are either cut off or bent upwardly and clenched against the underside of the respective body plates, as shown at the left end of Fig. 1. The underside or ceiling of the building construction for certain purposes is now complete and forms a straight, flat or even surface, which does not require any further finish if the purpose for which the building is to be used does not require it. If, however, it is desired to have a finished appearance of the ceiling, the under side of the lower body plates may be covered by a finish coating or surfacing 22 of plaster or similar material which can be applied to the lower body slabs without the use of any lathing or similar means for retaining the plaster on these body plates,

.which latter may be scored for this purpose on their undersides, as shown at 60 in Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5.

A floor and ceiling construction when thus constructed is very light and durable for the amount of material which enters into its composition, the same is dry and soundproof and permits of utilizing the floor surface as well as the ceiling surface in the same manner as though its entire structure was solid throughout, Owing to the body sections being of L-shaped form it is possi'ble to load the same compactly for transportation, so that the cost of producing this structure is reduced. Injury to these body sections is also practically eliminated during transportation, so that no loss occurs by shipping body material which cannot be used. Moreover, the formation of these body-sections of a mixture of plaster of Paris or g psum and wood fiber or eXcelsior permits of nailing the same in substantially the same manner as though the same were constructed of wood, which formation also renders these sections not liable to be injured or broken while being assembled and no holes are formed which would lead to the air spaces between the body sections and no concrete is therefore liable to flow into these air spaces and unnecessarily waste this material or objectionab-ly increase the weight of the floor and ceiling construction.

In addition to the above advantages, it is possible to make these body sections much cheaper than the hollow building tile or blocks now in general use and it is also possible to erect a floor and ceiling construction in which the same are embodied without the use of expensive forms such as are now commonly employed when hollow building blocks are used for this purpose.

I claim as my invention:

1. A floor and ceiling construction comprising a plurality of lower body sections each having a lower horizontal plate and a vertical flange rising from one edge of said plate, and a plurality of upper body sec tions each having an upper horizontal plate which engages at one edge with the flange of said lower section and a vertical flange depending from the opposite edge of said upper plate and engaging the upper side of said lower plate at a distance from the unflanged edge of the latter opposite its flanged edge, the unflanged edge of each lower section engaging with the flanged edge of an adjacent lower section forming a channel between the flanges of adjacent sections the opposing edges of said lower plates being interlocked against vertical displacement by a recess formed in one of these members and a projection on the other mem- 'ber engaging with said recess.

2. A floor and ceiling construction comprising a plurality of lower body sections each having a lower horizontal plate and a vertical flange rising from one edge of said plate, and a plurality of upper body sections each having an upper horizontal plate which engages at one edge with the flange of said lower section and a vertical flange depending from the opposite edge of said u per plate and engaging the upper side of said lower plate at a distance from the unflanged edge of the latter opposite its flanged edge, the unflanged edge of each lower section engaging with the flanged edge of an adjacent lower section forming a channel between the flanges of adjacent sections, the opposing edges of said lower plates being interlocked by a groove arranged on the flanged edge of each lower plate and a tenon on the unflanged edge of each lower plate engaging the groove of an adjacent lower plate.

JAMES G. DAVIS. 

